Election Notebook

Dole Unveils K-12 Policies At Massachusetts School

Republican presidetial hopeful Elizabeth Hanford Dole last week
outlined her vision for reshaping federal education policy, calling for
significantly more flexibility for states and school districts.

Mrs. Dole, who is seeking the GOP nomination in 2000, returned to
Melrose (Mass.) High School on Sept. 22 to deliver her education policy
speech. She had taught 11th grade history at the school 40 years
ago.

"The federal government has become a truly intrusive regulatory
presence sapping state authority, local control, and parental
responsibility," said Mrs. Dole, a former Cabinet member in the Reagan
and Bush administrations, who served most recently as the president of
the American Red Cross.

She promised that, if elected president, she would increase the flow
of federal dollars to the classroom while reducing federal control.

In exchange for the added flexibility, states and districts would be
required to improve student achievement, a plan she said was modeled
after the proposed Academic Achievement for All Act--or Straight A's--
introduced by congressional Republicans earlier this year.

Mrs. Dole said she would also propose changes to federal tax laws
aimed at improving education.

First, she pitched a $1,000-a-year federal income-tax credit for
those who donated money to educational foundations set up to provide
aid to low-income children in preschool to 12th grade.

She also said she supports allowing parents to set aside $3,000
annually in tax-free savings accounts for private or public school
expenses.

Her plan is based on legislation in Congress that has been opposed
by President Clinton. Under current law, parents can set aside up to
$500 annually in such accounts, but only for higher education.

Mrs. Dole also said principals and teachers should have greater
authority to discipline disruptive students or move them to alternative
programs and that she supports parent-approved locker and backpack
searches and drug-testing in schools.

Another of the GOP candidates, the magazine publisher Steve Forbes,
said this month that as president he would "immediately block-grant
funds from the Department of Education" to states and school districts,
and allow the money to be used for a variety of educational purposes,
including private and religious school tuition.

"Let parents choose schools that work," Mr. Forbes said in a Sept. 9
address to the National Baptist Convention in Tampa, Fla.

"Real school choice means public schools and private schools.
Charter schools and Baptist schools. Home schools and parochial
schools," he said.

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